JP2002351204A - Toner supply container, toner supplying device and toner sealing member - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toner supply container being driven by a coupled surface fastener, in which stems or fuzz come off from the surface fastener are prevented from getting mixed in a developing station. SOLUTION: A sealing member 2 for the toner supply container that discharges toner with the rotation of a bottle has a protrusion 2e that surrounds the surface fastener 3 provided at the top end of the sealing member 2. In a state of engagement between the fastener 3 and a surface fastener 30 at the side of a driving portion 20 of a main assembly, if stems come off from the surface fasteners 3 and 30, they fall inside the protrusion 2e without scattering within the developing station. An adhesive agent may be coated on the inner peripheral surface of the protrusion 2e to have an improved protection effect.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toner replenishing container, a toner replenishing device, and a toner sealing member which are detachable from an electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body.

Here, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium using an electrophotographic image forming method. And, as an example of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus,
For example, an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (laser beam printer, LED printer, etc.), a facsimile machine, a word processor, and the like are included.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, fine powder toner is used as a developer in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses such as electrophotographic copying machines and printers. When the developer in the image forming apparatus main body is consumed, toner is supplied to the image forming apparatus main body using a toner supply container.

Here, since the toner is an extremely fine powder, a toner supply container is set inside the image forming apparatus main body so that the toner is not scattered, and the toner is discharged little by little from a small opening during toner supply operation. There is a known method.

In such a system, it is difficult for the toner to be naturally discharged by the action of gravity or the like, and some kind of toner conveying means is required.

As a toner supply container provided with such a toner conveying means, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No.
No. 6 discloses a toner supply container. Here, the toner supply container has a substantially cylindrical overall shape,
A relatively small opening for discharging toner is provided in a part of the outer peripheral surface. A spiral toner conveying member is provided inside the container, and penetrates an end wall surface of the container so as to be driven from the outside of the container.

The toner replenishing container is used while being mounted in the apparatus main body. The toner is conveyed by rotating the toner conveying member by driving from the main body side, and the toner is discharged little by little from the opening. Has become.

On the other hand, as another toner replenishing container provided with a toner conveying means, there is a toner replenishing container disclosed in JP-A-7-44000. Here, the toner supply container has a cylindrical bottle shape, has a spiral projection on its inner surface, and has a small toner discharge port near the center on one end side.

The toner replenishing container differs from the prior art in that the conveying member is not provided therein, but is used in a state where the toner replenishing container is mounted on the apparatus main body. And a toner conveying means configured to convey the toner.

As described above, the toner supply container described above is
In any case, the toner is discharged by receiving some drive from the image forming apparatus main body side and driving the conveying member and the container main body on the toner supply container side.
There are several methods for such drive transmission means. For example, a gear portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the toner bottle, and the gear is engaged with a rotating drive gear connected to a drive source to rotate the toner bottle. A configuration in which a projection for rotational driving is provided on an end face of the toner bottle, and the projection is engaged with a recess provided in a driving unit from the image forming apparatus main body to transmit driving. Conversely, instead of providing a protrusion on the end face of the toner bottle, a recess is provided, and the protrusion is provided on the drive unit of the image forming apparatus main body to engage with the recess to transmit the drive. Various drive transmission methods have been proposed.

[0011]

However, the above-mentioned prior art has several technical problems.

In the case of (1), when inserting and setting the toner bottle in the image forming apparatus main body, it is necessary to properly engage a gear provided on the outer peripheral surface of the bottle with a driving gear in the image forming apparatus main body. It was necessary to insert it with care, and the burden on the user for replenishing operability was imposed. In addition, since the toner bottle is rotated by gear-to-gear engagement, the toner bottle receives a force that tends to shift in the direction perpendicular to the axis due to the rotational moment. May not be possible. In order to prevent such a shift, it is necessary to surround and support the entire periphery of the toner bottle. Is complicated, leading to an increase in cost.

In the above case, when the toner bottle is inserted so that the projection (or recess) of the end face of the toner bottle is engaged with the recess (or projection) of the main body driving unit, the position of the toner bottle in the rotation direction is changed. It is necessary to make adjustments, and doing this on your own will reduce the replenishment operability,
A slight displacement may result in a state where the drive is not properly transmitted.

In order to prevent such a defective engagement, a guide rib is provided on the outer surface of the toner bottle so that the position in the rotation direction when the toner bottle is inserted is always determined. It is necessary to control the rotation operation so that the unit always stops at a predetermined rotation position, and any of these causes a complication of the configuration of the replenishment system and an increase in cost.

Most of the coupling drive transmission due to the engagement of the concave and convex portions, when the toner bottle and the main body drive section are inserted out of phase with each other, the main body drive section is retracted by a spring, and when the phases are matched, the main body drive section is retracted. There may be a configuration that returns to the combined position. With such a configuration, even when the toner bottle is out of phase when the toner bottle is inserted, the main body driving section escapes, so that when the bottle is rotated, the phase is matched and the engagement becomes possible. However, the configuration of the main body driving unit becomes complicated, and an extra space is required for retracting the main body driving unit to the back side, which is not preferable in terms of making the main body compact.

The present invention is a further development of the conventional toner supply container described above.

An object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing container for engaging with an electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body and transmitting drive by means of a hook-and-loop fastener. It is an object of the present invention to provide means for preventing scattering of fluff and the like, and preventing mixing into a portion such as a developing device which may cause an image defect.

An object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing container which can be reliably replenished by a simple operation without requiring the user to adjust the rotational position of the toner replenishing container at the time of replenishing the toner replenishing container.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishing container in which the mechanisms of the toner replenishing container and the apparatus main body are simple and inexpensive.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toner supply container which can make the main body of the image forming apparatus compact.

[0021]

The present invention is as follows if the present invention is numbered and indicated according to the claims.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toner supply container detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus main body, wherein the toner supply container main body stores toner and a hook-and-loop fastener detachable from the image forming apparatus main body. A toner supply container, comprising: a surface fastener receiving a driving force from an image forming apparatus main body; and a protrusion provided to surround the surface fastener.

In the above configuration, it is possible to collect the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener with a simple and inexpensive configuration.
It is possible to provide a toner supply container capable of preventing a problem such as a defective image.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the projecting portion includes a first projecting portion projecting from a surface provided with a hook-and-loop fastener in a direction crossing the surface, and a first projecting portion extending over the entire periphery of the first projecting portion. The toner supply container according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein a second protrusion protruding inward is provided.

In the above configuration, with a simple and inexpensive configuration, it is possible to provide a toner replenishing container that can more reliably collect the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener and can prevent problems such as defective images. it can.

A third invention according to the present application is characterized in that an adhesive means is provided on an inner wall of the projection.
Or a toner supply container according to the second invention.

[0027] In the above construction, the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener collected by the first and second projections can be fixed to the adhesive means. It is possible to provide a toner replenishing container capable of reliably preventing the toner from being scattered in the image forming apparatus main body.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the end face of the projecting portion or the second projecting portion in the case where the projecting portion has the first and second projecting portions, is more than the engaging surface of the surface fastener. The toner supply container according to the second or third invention, wherein the toner supply container is also provided at a position protruding 1 to 30 mm in a direction in which the hook-and-loop fastener is separated.

In the above configuration, it is possible to provide a toner replenishing container capable of surely collecting fallouts without obstructing downsizing of the image forming apparatus main body.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first to third aspects, the surface fastener receiving the driving force has a structure in which a number of fine projections are arranged on the surface. A toner supply container according to any one of the above.

In the above configuration, it is possible to provide a toner replenishing container which does not require positioning in the rotating direction, can be easily attached / detached, and can reliably transmit drive.

A sixth invention according to the present application is the invention according to the fifth invention, wherein the fine projections of the surface fastener receiving the driving force are configured so that the outer diameter at the tip is larger than the root. This is a toner supply container.

In the above configuration, a high coupling force is generated between the surface fastener for transmitting the driving force and the surface fastener for receiving the driving force, and the rotational driving force with high reliability is prevented from coming off during the rotation. Can be provided.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the surface fastener receiving the driving force, a large number of loop-shaped fine engagement projections are provided, and the hook-shaped fine engagement projections of the image forming apparatus main body are provided. The toner supply container according to any one of the first to third inventions, wherein the toner supply container is detachable from a plurality of hook-and-loop fasteners.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a toner supply container in which the surface fastener for transmitting the driving force and the surface fastener for receiving the driving force can be easily separated and detached.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the image forming apparatus main body, wherein the surface fastener receiving the driving force is provided with a large number of hook-shaped fine engaging projections. The toner supply container according to any one of the first to third inventions, wherein the toner supply container is engaged with and disengaged from a hook-and-loop fastener provided with a large number of.

In the above structure, a surface fastener for transmitting a driving force and a toner replenishing container in which the surface fastener for receiving the driving force can be easily separated and detached can be provided. In addition, a surface fastener for transmitting a driving force to be used repeatedly. Is formed in a loop, it is possible to provide a toner replenishing container in which thread fluff and dust are less likely to occur.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an agitating / conveying / discharging means for agitating / conveying / discharging toner driven by transmitting a driving force. Any one of the first to third inventions, wherein the stirring / transport / discharge means is driven by the force.
The toner supply container according to any one of the above.

In the above configuration, the toner supply container is capable of reliably transmitting the drive with a simple main body configuration and capable of attaching / detaching the toner supply container and agitating / transporting / discharging the toner by a simple operation. Can be provided.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toner discharge port, and a sealing member for sealing the toner discharge port so that the toner discharge port can be opened and closed. The toner supply container according to any one of the first to third inventions, wherein a sealing means for opening and closing the toner discharge port of the toner supply container is opened and closed.

In the above configuration, a toner supply container capable of reliably transmitting drive with a simple main body configuration, and capable of attaching / detaching the toner supply container and opening / closing the toner sealing means by a simple operation is provided. Can be provided.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the toner supply container, the toner supply container has a substantially cylindrical shape, and stirs, conveys and transfers toner.
The toner supply container according to the ninth aspect, wherein the discharge is performed by rotating the toner supply container.

In the above configuration, the stirring /
As compared with the configuration in which the conveying means is provided and the stirring / transporting means is rotated, the number of parts is small, the torque applied during rotation can be reduced with a simple configuration, and the state of the toner housed inside And a toner replenishing container capable of always stirring and conveying the toner with a stable torque load.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toner supply container detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus main body, wherein one end of the cylinder is provided with a toner discharge port for discharging toner stored therein, and the cylinder is rotatably mounted. A toner supply container main body which is supported on the outer periphery and is movable in the axial direction, and a sealing member for opening and closing the toner discharge port, wherein a hook-and-loop fastener is provided at a tip end, and the toner supply container main body; A sealing member that is locked to each other in the rotation direction, is movable in the axial direction, and is engaged with the toner supply container body in the rotation direction even when the toner discharge port is opened. The toner supply container main body is driven from the image forming apparatus main body via the sealing member by the engagement force of the hook-and-loop fastener provided on the sealing member, and the toner supply container main body is rotated. A toner supply container according to the eleventh invention, characterized by.

In the above configuration, the drive can be reliably transmitted with a simple main body configuration, and the toner supply container can be attached and detached by a simple operation. Also, since the surfaces are joined together as compared with the drive transmission means by the combination of unevenness, space saving can be achieved, and further, means for phase matching and phase matching at the time of mounting the toner supply container is not required, so that The configuration of the main body can be simplified, and the cost can be reduced. Also, compared to the conventional drive transmission means, since there is no gear backlash, there is no loss of power at the time of drive transmission, no noise or vibration due to gear meshing, etc.
Fine drive transmission control such as reversing and stopping can be performed without applying a load to the image forming apparatus main body. Further, since the sealing member is provided with the hook-and-loop fastener, the number of parts can be reduced, the container body can be rotated with a simple configuration, and the replenishing operation of the operator can be simplified.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toner replenishing apparatus in which a toner replenishing container is detachable, wherein a toner replenishing container main body for accommodating toner and a surface fastener detachable from the image forming apparatus main body, A mounting portion for detachably mounting a toner supply container having a surface fastener receiving a driving force from the image forming apparatus main body, and a surface fastener transmitting the driving force from the image forming apparatus main body, the surface fastener receiving the driving force. A toner replenishing device comprising: a drive-side hook-and-loop fastener that can be disengaged from a hook-and-loop fastener; and a projection provided to surround the drive-side hook-and-loop fastener.

In the above configuration, it is possible to collect the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener with a simple and inexpensive configuration.
It is possible to provide a toner replenishing device that can prevent a problem such as an image defect.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the projecting portion includes a first projecting portion projecting from a surface provided with the surface fastener in a direction crossing the surface, and a first projecting portion extending over the entire circumference of the first projecting portion. A toner supply device according to a thirteenth aspect, wherein a second protrusion protruding inward is provided.

In the above configuration, with a simple and inexpensive configuration, it is possible to provide a toner replenishing apparatus which can more reliably collect the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener and can prevent a problem such as an image defect. it can.

A fifteenth invention according to the present application is the toner supply device according to the thirteenth or fourteenth invention, wherein an adhesive means is provided on an inner wall of the projection.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener collected by the first and second projections can be fixed to the adhesive means, and the above-described structure can be used even when the toner supply container is attached or detached. It is possible to provide a toner replenishing device capable of reliably preventing the toner from scattering into the image forming apparatus main body.

According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, the end surface of the first protrusion or the second protrusion when the protrusion has the first and second protrusions is provided by the hook-and-loop fastener. 1 to 30 m in the direction of separation of the hook-and-loop fastener from the mating surface
m is provided at a protruding position.
A toner supply device according to a fourth or fifteenth aspect.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a toner replenishing device capable of reliably collecting fallouts without hindering downsizing of the image forming apparatus main body.

According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, in the thirteenth to fifteenth aspects, the surface fastener of the image forming apparatus has a structure in which a number of fine projections are arranged on the surface. A toner supply device according to any one of the above.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a toner replenishing apparatus which does not require positioning in the rotational direction, can be easily attached / detached, and can reliably transmit drive.

An eighteenth invention according to the present application is characterized in that the fine projections of the surface fastener of the image forming apparatus main body have a larger outer diameter at the tip than at the root.
It is a toner supply device according to the invention.

In the above configuration, a high coupling force is generated between the surface fastener for transmitting the driving force and the surface fastener for receiving the driving force, and the rotational driving force with high reliability without being detached during the rotation. It is possible to provide a toner supply device that can receive the transmission.

According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, the surface fastener receiving the driving force is capable of attaching and detaching a toner supply container provided with a large number of loop-shaped fine engaging projections. The toner replenishing apparatus according to any one of the thirteenth to fifteenth aspects, wherein a large number of hook-shaped fine projections are provided.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a toner replenishing apparatus that can easily separate and detach the surface fastener that transmits the driving force and the surface fastener that receives the driving force.

According to a twentieth aspect of the present invention, the surface fastener receiving the driving force is a detachable toner supply container provided with a large number of hook-shaped fine engaging projections, and the surface fastener of the image forming apparatus main body is formed of a loop. The toner supply device according to any one of the thirteenth to fifteenth aspects, wherein a large number of minute engagement protrusions are provided.

In the above construction, a surface fastener for transmitting a driving force and a toner replenishing container for easily separating and attaching the surface fastener for receiving the driving force can be provided. In addition, a surface fastener for transmitting a driving force to be used repeatedly. Is formed in a loop, it is possible to provide a toner replenishing device in which thread fluff and dust are less likely to occur.

According to a twenty-first aspect of the present invention, a toner supply container having a stirring / transporting / discharging means for stirring / transporting / discharging toner is driven by a driving force from the image forming apparatus main body. Characteristic 13th to 1st
A toner supply device according to any one of the fifth to fifth aspects of the present invention.

In the above configuration, a toner supply device capable of reliably transmitting drive with a simple main body configuration, and capable of attaching / detaching the toner supply container and agitating / transporting / discharging the toner by a simple operation. Can be provided.

In a twenty-second aspect of the present invention, the toner supply container has a toner outlet and a sealing member for sealing the toner outlet so as to be openable and closable. The toner supply device according to any one of the thirteenth to fifteenth aspects, wherein a sealing means for sealing the toner discharge port of the toner supply container so as to be openable and closable is opened by a driving force. is there.

In the above configuration, a toner replenishing apparatus capable of reliably transmitting drive with a simple main body configuration and capable of opening and closing the toner replenishing container and opening and closing the toner sealing means with a simple operation is provided. Can be provided.

According to a twenty-third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toner supply unit for rotating a toner supply container, wherein a toner storage portion for storing toner has a substantially cylindrical shape, and the toner is stirred, transported, and discharged. Having a second characteristic
1 is a toner supply device according to the invention.

In the above configuration, the stirring and
As compared with the configuration in which the conveying means is provided and the stirring / transporting means is rotated, the number of parts is small, the torque applied during rotation can be reduced with a simple configuration, and the state of the toner housed inside And a toner replenishing device capable of constantly stirring and conveying the toner with a stable torque load.

According to a twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toner supply device in which a toner supply container is detachable. At one end of the cylinder, there is provided a toner discharge port for discharging toner contained therein, a container body rotatably supported on the outer periphery of the cylinder and movable in the axial direction, and a sealing member for opening and closing the toner discharge port. In addition, a hook-and-loop fastener is provided at a tip end, and the toner supply container main body and the toner supply container main body are locked to each other in a rotational direction, are movable in an axial direction, and are open in the state where the opening is opened. A sealing member that keeps a state of being engaged with the toner supply container body in the rotational direction, and a toner container formed by an engaging force of a surface fastener provided on the sealing member. Mounting means for detachably mounting the toner supply container on which the toner supply container main body is rotated when the toner supply container body rotates. B. Drive transmission means for receiving drive from the image forming apparatus main body and transmitting the drive to the sealing member; c. The toner replenishing apparatus according to the twenty-third aspect, further comprising a delivery path for delivering toner from an opening of the toner replenishing container to a developing unit of the image forming apparatus main body.

In the above configuration, the drive can be reliably transmitted with a simple main body configuration, and the toner supply container can be attached and detached by a simple operation. Also, since the surfaces are joined together as compared with the drive transmission means by the combination of unevenness, space saving can be achieved, and further, means for phase matching and phase matching at the time of mounting the toner supply container is not required, so that The configuration of the main body can be simplified, and the cost can be reduced. Also, compared to the conventional drive transmission means, since there is no gear backlash, there is no loss of power at the time of drive transmission, no noise or vibration due to gear meshing, etc.
Fine drive transmission control such as reversing and stopping can be performed without applying a load to the image forming apparatus main body. Further, since the sealing member is provided with the hook-and-loop fastener, the number of parts can be reduced, the container body can be rotated with a simple configuration, and the replenishing operation of the operator can be simplified.

The twenty-fifth invention according to the present application is the toner supply container according to the first invention, wherein the attachment / detachment direction of the hook-and-loop fastener is substantially the axial direction of the rotation axis.

In the above configuration, the toner supply container can be attached and detached by a simple operation, and a toner supply container capable of effectively collecting the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener can be provided.

According to a twenty-sixth aspect of the present invention, in the thirteenth aspect, an attaching / detaching direction of an engaging portion between the surface fastener receiving the driving force and the surface fastener of the image forming apparatus main body is substantially the axial direction of the rotation axis. It is a toner supply device according to the invention.

In the above configuration, the toner replenishing container can be attached and detached by a simple operation, and a toner replenishing device capable of effectively collecting the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener can be provided.

According to a twenty-seventh aspect of the present invention, the projection provided so as to surround the hook-and-loop fastener has a cross-sectional shape in the attachment / detachment direction of the hook-and-loop fastener, and a bag-shaped portion provided on the side where the hook-and-loop fastener is provided. The toner supply container according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, wherein the toner supply container is configured to form a toner supply container.

In the above configuration, it is possible to effectively collect the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener with a simple configuration.
Further, it is possible to provide a toner replenishing container which can surely prevent the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener from scattering into the image forming apparatus main body at low cost without using an adhesive means or the like on the inner wall of the projecting portion.

According to a twenty-eighth aspect of the present invention, the projection provided so as to surround the hook-and-loop fastener has a cross-sectional shape in the attachment / detachment direction of the hook-and-loop fastener, and a bag-shaped portion provided on the side where the hook-and-loop fastener is provided. A toner replenishing device according to any one of the thirteenth to fifteenth aspects, wherein the toner replenishing device is configured to make up.

In the above configuration, it is possible to effectively collect the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener with a simple configuration.
Further, it is possible to provide a toner replenishing device capable of more reliably preventing the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener from scattering into the image forming apparatus main body at a low cost without using an adhesive means or the like on the inner wall of the projecting portion.

According to a twenty-ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toner seal for a toner supply container which is detachably attached to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body and which can be driven by receiving a driving force from the electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body. In the member, a sealing portion for sealing the toner filled in the toner supply container body,
A toner sealing member, comprising: a surface fastener that receives driving from the electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body; and a protrusion provided to surround the surface fastener.

In the above configuration, it is possible to collect the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener with a simple and inexpensive configuration.
It is possible to provide a toner sealing member capable of preventing defects such as an image defect.

A thirtieth invention according to the present application is characterized in that the projecting portion extends from the surface provided with the hook-and-loop fastener in a direction crossing the surface, and a first projecting portion extending over the entire circumference of the first projecting portion. The toner sealing member according to the twenty-ninth aspect, wherein a second protrusion protruding inward is provided.

In the above-described configuration, a toner sealing member that can more reliably collect the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener and can prevent a defect such as an image defect with a simple and inexpensive configuration. Can be provided.

A thirty-first invention according to the present application is the toner sealing member according to the twenty-ninth or thirtieth invention, wherein an adhesive means is provided on an inner wall of the projection.

In the above construction, the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener collected by the first and second projections can be fixed to the adhesive means. It is possible to provide a toner sealing member that can surely prevent scattering into the image forming apparatus main body.

According to a thirty-second aspect of the present invention, the end face of the projecting portion or the second projecting portion when the projecting portion has the first and second projecting portions is located closer to the engaging surface of the surface fastener. 32. The toner sealing member according to the thirty-first or thirty-first invention, wherein the toner sealing member is also provided at a position protruding 1 to 30 mm in a direction in which the surface fastener is separated.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a toner sealing member capable of reliably collecting fallouts without obstructing downsizing of the image forming apparatus main body.

A thirty-third invention according to the present application is characterized in that the surface fastener receiving the driving force has a configuration in which a number of fine projections are arranged on a surface receiving the driving force.
A toner sealing member according to any one of the ninth to thirty-first aspects.

In the above configuration, it is possible to provide a toner sealing member which does not require positioning in the rotating direction, can be easily attached / detached, and can reliably transmit drive.

A thirty-fourth invention according to the thirty-fourth invention is characterized in that the fine projections of the surface fastener receiving the driving force are configured such that the outer diameter at the tip is larger than the root. It is a toner sealing member.

In the above configuration, a high coupling force is generated between the drive transmitting portion and the driving force receiving portion, and the toner capable of receiving the highly reliable rotational driving force without being detached during rotation. A sealing member can be provided.

A thirty-fifth invention according to the present application is characterized in that the surface fastener receiving the driving force is provided with a large number of loop-shaped fine engagement projections, and the hook-shaped fine engagement projections of the image forming apparatus main body are provided. 32. The toner sealing member according to any one of the twenty-ninth to thirty-first aspects, wherein the toner sealing member is detachable from a plurality of hook-and-loop fasteners.

In the above configuration, it is possible to provide a toner sealing member in which the driving force transmitting portion and the rotational driving force receiving portion can be easily separated and detached.

A thirty-sixth invention according to the present application is characterized in that the surface fastener receiving the driving force is provided with a large number of hook-shaped fine engagement projections, and the loop-shaped fine engagement projections of the image forming apparatus main body are provided. 32. The toner sealing member according to any one of the twenty-ninth to thirty-first aspects, wherein the toner sealing member is detachable from a plurality of hook-and-loop fasteners.

In the above configuration, it is possible to provide a toner replenishing container in which the driving force transmitting portion and the rotational driving force receiving portion can be easily separated and detached. Further, since the driving force transmitting portion used repeatedly is formed in a loop shape, It is possible to provide a toner sealing member that is less likely to generate lint or dust.

According to a thirty-seventh aspect of the present invention, the toner supply container main body has a stirring / conveying / discharging means for stirring / conveying / discharging the toner driven by transmitting the driving force.
The stirring / transporting / discharging means is driven by a driving force from the image forming apparatus main body.
32. The toner sealing member according to any one of the thirty-first to thirty-first aspects.

In the above configuration, the toner can be securely transmitted with a simple main body configuration, and the toner can be attached and detached and the toner can be agitated, transported, and discharged by a simple operation. A member can be provided.

A thirty-eighth invention according to the present application is characterized in that the sealing member for opening and closing the opening of the toner supply container is opened and closed by a driving force from the image forming apparatus main body. 32. The toner sealing member according to any one of the twenty-ninth to thirty-first inventions.

In the above structure, the toner sealing member can transmit the drive reliably with a simple main body structure, and can attach / detach the toner supply container and open / close the toner sealing member by a simple operation. Can be provided.

A thirty-ninth aspect of the present invention is directed to the thirty-ninth aspect of the present invention, wherein the toner replenishing container has a substantially cylindrical shape and agitates, transports,
A toner sealing member according to a thirty-seventh aspect, wherein the discharging is performed by rotating the toner supply container.

In the above configuration, stirring and
As compared with the configuration in which the conveying means is provided and the stirring / transporting means is rotated, the number of parts is small, the torque applied during rotation can be reduced with a simple configuration, and the state of the toner housed inside And a toner sealing member capable of always stirring and conveying the toner with a stable torque load.

According to a fortieth aspect of the present invention, a toner supply container is provided at one end of a cylinder, which is provided with a toner discharge port for discharging toner contained therein, and is rotatably supported on the outer periphery of the cylinder and is movable in the axial direction. In the toner sealing member for opening and closing the toner discharge port of the main body, the sealing member is provided with a hook-and-loop fastener at a tip portion, and the toner supply container main body and the toner supply container main body are locked to each other in a rotation direction, It is movable in the axial direction with respect to each other, and even when the toner discharge port is opened, the toner supply container is configured to be engaged with the toner supply container main body in the rotational direction, and is provided on the sealing member. The toner sealing member according to the thirty-ninth aspect of the present invention, wherein the toner supply container main body is rotated by receiving drive from the image forming apparatus main body via the sealing member by an engaging force of the hook-and-loop fastener. That.

In the above configuration, the drive can be reliably transmitted with a simple main body configuration, and the toner supply container can be attached and detached by a simple operation. Also, since the surfaces are joined together as compared with the drive transmission means by the combination of unevenness, space saving can be achieved, and further, means for phase matching and phase matching at the time of mounting the toner supply container is not required, so that The configuration of the main body can be simplified, and the cost can be reduced. Also, compared to the conventional drive transmission means, since there is no gear backlash, there is no loss of power at the time of drive transmission, no noise or vibration due to gear meshing, etc.
Fine drive transmission control such as reversing and stopping can be performed without applying a load to the image forming apparatus main body. Further, since the sealing member is provided with the hook-and-loop fastener, the number of parts can be reduced, the container body can be rotated with a simple configuration, and the replenishing operation of the operator can be simplified.

A forty-first invention according to the forty-ninth to thirty-first inventions is characterized in that the attachment / detachment direction of the hook-and-loop fastener engaging portion is substantially the axial direction of the rotation axis. It is a toner sealing member.

In the above configuration, the toner replenishing container can be attached and detached by a simple operation, and a toner sealing member capable of effectively collecting the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener can be provided.

[0104] A forty-second invention according to the present application is characterized in that the projecting portion provided so as to surround the hook-and-loop fastener has a cross-sectional shape in the attaching / detaching direction of the hook-and-loop fastener and a bag-shaped portion provided on the side where the hook-and-loop fastener is provided. The toner sealing member according to any one of the twenty-ninth to thirty-first aspects, wherein the toner sealing member is configured to be formed.

In the above configuration, it is possible to effectively collect the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener with a simple configuration.
Further, it is possible to provide a toner sealing member that can more reliably prevent the falling-out from the hook-and-loop fastener from scattering into the image forming apparatus main body at low cost without using an adhesive means or the like on the inner wall of the protruding portion.

According to a forty-third aspect of the present invention, in a toner replenishing apparatus in which a toner replenishing container is detachable, a toner replenishing container main body for storing toner and having a toner discharge port, and a seal for sealing the toner discharge port are provided. A member, a surface fastener that receives a driving force from the image forming apparatus main body, and a surface fastener that can be disengaged from the surface fastener of the image forming apparatus main body;
A mounting portion for detachably mounting a toner supply container having a protrusion provided to surround the surface fastener;
A toner fastener for transmitting a driving force from an image forming apparatus main body, comprising: a surface fastener receiving the driving force; and a detachable driving-side surface fastener.

In the above configuration, it is possible to collect the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener with a simple and inexpensive configuration.
It is possible to provide a toner supply container capable of preventing a problem such as a defective image. Further, the drive can be reliably transmitted with a simple body configuration, and the toner supply container can be attached and detached with a simple operation. Also, since the surfaces are joined together as compared with the drive transmission means by the combination of unevenness, space saving can be achieved, and further, means for phase matching and phase matching at the time of mounting the toner supply container is not required, so that The configuration of the main body can be simplified, and the cost can be reduced. Also, since there is no gear backlash as compared with the conventional drive transmission means, there is no loss of power at the time of drive transmission, and there is no generation of abnormal noise or vibration due to gear meshing, etc. Fine control of drive transmission such as reversing and stopping is possible without applying a load. Further, since the sealing member is provided with the hook-and-loop fastener, the number of parts can be reduced, the container body can be rotated with a simple configuration, and the replenishing operation of the operator can be simplified.

[0108]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, the configuration of an electrophotographic copying machine as an example of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus to which the toner supply container according to the present invention is mounted will be described with reference to FIG.

(Electrophotographic Image Forming Apparatus) In FIG.
Reference numeral 100 denotes an electrophotographic copying machine main body (hereinafter, referred to as an apparatus main body). Reference numeral 101 denotes an original, and an original platen glass 102
On top of. Then, a light image corresponding to the image information is formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum 104 by the plurality of mirrors M and the lenses Ln of the optical unit 103. 105 to 108 are cassettes. Of the recording media (hereinafter, referred to as “sheets”) P loaded in the cassettes 105 to 108,
The optimum paper is selected from the paper size information of the cassettes 105 to 108 based on the information input by the user from the operation unit 100a shown in FIG. Here, the recording medium is not limited to paper, but may be O.
An HP sheet or the like can be appropriately selected.

Then, the paper feed / separation devices 105A-108
One sheet P transported by A is transported to the registration roller 110 via the transport unit 109, and transported in synchronization with the rotation of the photosensitive drum 104 and the scan timing of the optical unit 103. In addition, 111 and 112 are a transfer discharger and a separation discharger. Here, the transfer discharger 111 transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 104 to the paper P. Then, the sheet P on which the toner image has been transferred is separated from the photosensitive drum 104 by the separation discharger 112.
Separate from

Thereafter, the sheet P conveyed by the conveying section 113 fixes the toner image on the sheet by heat and pressure in the fixing section 114, and then passes through the discharge reversing section 115 in the case of single-sided copying. Then, the sheet is discharged to the sheet discharge tray 117 by the sheet discharge roller 116. In the case of multiple copies,
Under the control of the flapper 118 of the paper discharge reversing unit 115, the registration rollers 11 pass through the re-feeding conveyance paths 119 and 120.
After the sheet is conveyed to 0, the sheet is discharged to the sheet discharge tray 117 by following the same route as in the case of the one-sided copy.

In the case of double-sided copying, the paper P passes through the paper discharge reversing section 115 and is partially discharged outside the apparatus by the paper discharge rollers 116 once. Thereafter, the trailing end of the paper P passes through the flapper 118, and the flapper 118 is controlled at a timing when the paper P is still nipped by the paper discharge roller 116, and the paper discharge roller 116 is rotated in the reverse direction, so that the paper P is conveyed again into the apparatus. Is done. After this, the re-feeding conveyance section 1
After being conveyed to the registration rollers 110 via 19 and 120, the sheet is discharged to the sheet discharge tray 117 along the same path as in the case of single-sided copying.

By the way, in the apparatus main body 100 having the above configuration, a developing section 201, a cleaner section 202, a primary charger 203 and the like are arranged around the photosensitive drum 104. Here, the developing unit 201 develops information of the document 101 by using an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 104 by the optical unit 103 using toner. A toner supply container 1 for supplying toner to the developing unit 201 is provided in the apparatus main body 100 so as to be detachable by a user. Here, the developing unit 201 includes the toner hopper 2
01a and a developing device 201b. The toner hopper 201a has a stirring member 201c for stirring toner supplied from the toner supply container 1. Then, the toner stirred by the stirring member 201c is
It is sent to the developing device 201b by the magnet roller 201d. The developing device 201b has a developing roller 201f and a feeding member 201e. Then, the toner sent from the toner hopper 201a by the magnet roller 201d is sent to the developing roller 201f by the sending member 201e, and is supplied to the photosensitive drum 104 by the developing roller 201f.

The cleaner section 202 is for removing the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 104. Further, the primary charger 203 is connected to the photosensitive drum 104.
This is for charging.

A cover 15 for replacing a toner supply container (hereinafter referred to as a replacement cover) which is a part of the outer cover shown in FIG.
When the user opens the container holder 50 as shown in FIG.
Is pulled out to a predetermined position by a drive system (not shown). Then, the toner supply container 1 is set on the container receiving table 50. When the user takes out the container 1 from the apparatus main body 100, the user takes out the toner replenishing container 1 placed on the container receiving table 50 that has been pulled out. Here, the cover 15
Is a dedicated cover for attaching and detaching (exchanging) the toner supply container 1, and is opened and closed only for attaching and detaching the toner supply container 1. The maintenance of the apparatus main body 100 is performed by opening and closing the front cover 100c.

Note that, without going through the container receiving base 50,
The toner supply container 1 is directly installed on the apparatus main body 100, and
You may comprise so that it may be detached from the apparatus main body 100.

[Embodiment 1] Next, a toner supply container according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the toner container of the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a drive transmission unit that drives the toner supply container.

(Toner Supply Container) A toner supply container (hereinafter also referred to as a toner bottle) 1 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape.
An opening 1a having a diameter smaller than that of the cylindrical portion protrudes substantially at the center of the one end surface. The opening 1a is provided with a sealing member 2 for closing the opening, and the sealing member 2 slides in the axial direction of the toner bottle 1 to open and close the opening 1a. . The opening 1a is a toner outlet for discharging the toner stored in the container body 1A. A hook-and-loop fastener 3 is provided at a leading end of the sealing member 2 at a driving force receiving portion that receives a driving force from the main body driving portion 20 of the apparatus main body 100.
A drive unit 20 (see FIG. 9) provided in an image forming apparatus main body, which will be described later. Specifically, the drive unit 20 is coupled to a surface fastener 30 provided in a drive transmission unit 20a which is an output unit of the drive unit 20. It is configured to perform the function of transmitting. Further, a protrusion 2e is provided around the surface fastener 30 so as to continuously surround the surface fastener 30,
It is configured to prevent scattering of falling objects from the surface fastener 30. The configuration of the projecting portion 2e for preventing the falling objects from scattering from the hook-and-loop fastener 30 will be described later in detail.

The internal structure of the toner bottle 1 will be described.

The toner bottle 1 has a substantially cylindrical shape, is arranged in a substantially horizontal direction in the main body of the image forming apparatus, and has a configuration in which the toner bottle 1 is rotated by receiving rotational driving from the main body 100 of the image forming apparatus. . And this toner bottle 1
Is provided with a partition wall 1c over the entire length of the bottle so as to divide the inside of the toner bottle 1 into two parts. On both surfaces of the partition wall 1c, projections 1e inclined with respect to the rotation axis aa of the toner bottle 1 are provided. Are provided. One end of the inclined projection 1e reaches the opening 1a, and the toner is finally discharged from the projection 1e through the opening 1a. The protrusions 1e are arranged on the front and back surfaces of the partition wall 1c symmetrically with respect to the rotation axis so that the toner is conveyed toward the opening 1a in the same rotation direction.

However, the configuration inside the toner bottle 1 is not particularly limited as long as the toner bottle 1 is rotated and the toner is discharged when the bottle is rotated. Further, in addition to the above-described configuration, a generally well-known bottle having a spiral projection formed inside the bottle, or another configuration may be used.

Further, the type of driving in the present invention is not limited to the rotational driving as shown in the present embodiment, and the toner is replenished by vibrating or oscillating the toner supply container or by other driving methods. If it is something to replenish,
In particular, the type of driving is not limited.

An opening 1 is formed at one end of the toner bottle body 1A.
The drive shaft 1b (see FIG. 5) provided integrally with the toner bottle main body 1A in the opening 1a protrudes from the opening 1a. The drive shaft 1b has an opening 1a.
And is engaged with an engagement hole 2a formed in the sealing member 2 as shown in FIG. Since the drive shaft 1b is for transmitting the rotational driving force from the apparatus main body 100 to the toner bottle main body 1A via the sealing member 2, the cross-sectional shape of the drive shaft 1b is a square capable of transmitting the rotational driving force. It has a shape such as a shape, an H-cut shape, and a D-cut shape.

(Sealing Member) Next, the sealing member 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 shows the sealing member 2
7A is a view taken in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 6, (B) is a view taken in the direction of the arrow B in FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a front sectional view of FIG.

6 to 8, reference numeral 2b denotes a sealing portion for sealing the toner supply opening 1a of the toner supply container 1 so as to be openable. The outer diameter of the sealing portion 2b is set to be appropriately larger than the inner diameter of the toner supply opening 1a. The sealing member 2 seals the toner outlet formed as the opening 1a by press-fitting the sealing portion 2b into the opening 1a.

The sealing member 2 has a drive shaft 1
An engagement hole 2a is provided as a driving force transmitting portion for transmitting the driving force received from the apparatus main body 100 by engaging with the driving shaft 1b to the driving shaft 1b. The engagement hole 2a is formed by an opening (hole) formed over a portion where the sealing portion 2b and the coupling engagement portion 2c are formed. Here, this engagement hole 2
a has a shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the drive shaft 1b and is formed slightly larger than the drive shaft 1b.
As a result, the drive shaft 1b is loosely fitted in the engagement hole 2a.

Then, the drive shaft 1b is connected to the engagement hole 2 as described above.
a, the bottle main body 1A and the sealing member 2 are locked to each other in the rotation direction of the bottle main body 1A, while being movable in the axial direction. Has become. Thus, when the toner supply container 1 is mounted on the toner supply device, the sealing member 2 and the bottle main body 1A can be separated from each other as described later, and the toner discharge port can be opened (opened).

By the way, the engagement length between the engagement hole 2a and the drive shaft 1b is such that it does not come off when the sealing member 2 and the bottle body 1A are separated. Thereby, even if the sealing member 2 is separated from the bottle body 1A, the drive shaft 1b
Can receive a driving force via the sealing member 2.

In the present embodiment, the above-described configuration is employed. However, for example, the drive shaft may be
A configuration in which an engagement hole is provided on the toner supply container side may be used.

It is preferable that such a sealing member 2 is manufactured by injection molding a resin such as a plastic. However, other materials and manufacturing methods may be used, which may be divided and joined arbitrarily. The sealing member 2 has an opening 1 for discharging toner.
A suitable elasticity is required for press-fitting into a and sealing it. As the material, low-density polyethylene is most preferable, and then polypropylene, linear polyamide (for example, trade name nylon), high-density polyethylene and the like can be preferably used.

(Structure of Surface Fastener) Next, the structure of the surface fastener 3 will be described with reference to FIGS.

Here, FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of a hook-and-loop fastener provided in a drive transmitting portion of the image forming apparatus main body and a driving force receiving portion of the toner supply container. FIG. 10 is a partial sectional view of the hook-and-loop fastener portion. FIG. 11 to FIG. 13 are perspective views showing an example of coupling between the hook-and-loop fastener and the sealing member. FIGS. 14 and 15 are schematic views showing another example of the hook-and-loop fastener, and FIGS.
FIG. 4 is a view showing an arrangement pattern of protrusions of a surface fastener.

The hook-and-loop fastener 3 serves as a driving force receiving portion of the toner replenishing container 1, and receives a driving force from a hook-and-loop fastener 30 which is a driving force transmitting portion of the toner replenishing device.

The surface fastener according to the present invention is defined as a surface fastener having a large number of finely elastically deformable projections (stems) arranged on the surface and pressed against each other, so that the projections are hooked to each other, and the entire surface is engaged. This means an engaging member to be engaged.

As shown in FIG. 10, this projection 3a is
The outer diameter D of the tip 3a2 is larger than a1. The tip 3a2 is hemispherically rounded. The main body side fastener 30 is the same as the surface fastener 3 except that a projection 30a is provided on a base 30z. The protrusion 30a is the root 30
The outer diameter D of the tip 30a2 is larger than a1. The projections 3a, 30a are provided integrally or integrally with the bases 3z, 30z, respectively. In this example, the bases 3z and 30z have a disc shape, but are not limited thereto, and may have a conical shape. In the case of a conical shape, one of the pair of drive-side and passive-side surface fasteners is concave with respect to the other side, and the other is convex with respect to the other side.

The feature of the hook-and-loop fastener 3 is that each projection 3a (see FIG. 10) is fine, but a large number of these are engaged on the entire surface, so that the entire surface has a strong engaging force. It is. On the contrary, when the engagement surface is separated, by detaching the individual fine projections 3a in order, separation can be easily performed with a small force, and detachment can be very easily performed. Is a major feature.

Another major feature is that, unlike a conventional coupling in which a concave portion and a convex portion are engaged, phase adjustment such as engaging the concave portion with the convex portion is not required. . This is because the fine projections 3a that can be elastically deformed are arranged over the entire surface, so that the projections 3a can be engaged with each other at any position and firmly engaged. Therefore, when the user replaces the toner bottle 1, the user can set the toner bottle 1 to an arbitrary phase without worrying about the phase in the rotation direction of the toner bottle 1 when setting the toner bottle 1 in the apparatus main body 100. Very good operability,
There is no occurrence of poor engagement due to phase shift.

The hook-and-loop fastener 3 is provided at the tip of the sealing member 2 and engages with the hook-and-loop fastener 30 provided on the surface of the drive section of the apparatus main body 100 to prevent the drive from the apparatus main body 100 from being performed. And a function of transmitting the toner to the toner bottle 1.

The hook-and-loop fastener 3 is provided at the tip of the sealing member 2.
As shown in FIG. 1, the hook-and-loop fastener 3 and the sealing member 2 may be formed by integral molding, or an adhesive member 3b may be provided on the back surface of the hook-and-loop fastener 3 as shown in FIG. It may be attached and fixed on the surface. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 13, the connection may be made by various connection methods such as screwing with a small screw 3c and bolting.

As the type of the hook-and-loop fastener 3, there are several types as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 in addition to the combination of the mushroom-shaped stems (projections) described above. May be used.

For example, as shown in FIG. 14, the hook-and-loop fastener 3 of the driving force receiving portion is connected to the hook (male side) 3d and the hook-and-loop fastener 30 of the drive transmitting portion is connected to the loop (female side) 3e. Loop 3e of loop fastener 3 of receiving part
Thus, the hook-and-loop fastener 30 of the drive transmission unit may take various shapes such as a combination of a hook 30d or a combination of a truncated pyramid-shaped stem 3f as shown in FIG.

Further, by freely designing the arrangement of the stems (projections) 3a, it is possible to reduce the variation in the strength difference depending on the direction of meshing, and to increase or decrease the engagement strength. .

For example, a serial arrangement as shown in FIG.
By freely designing the arrangement of the stems, such as a curved arrangement as shown in FIG. 17 or a concentric arrangement as shown in FIG. 18, the engagement strength in the thrust direction and the radial direction can be controlled. If it is desired to increase the engagement strength, the stems can be arranged at a high density to obtain a stronger engagement strength. Further, in the present invention, it is not always necessary to use a combination of engagements of the same arrangement, and engagements of different arrangements may be used.

Further, by freely designing the height and shape of the stem, it is possible to achieve a smooth engagement and a joining method that balances the strength thereof. The present invention does not limit the shape and arrangement at all. You can design freely.

As the dimensions of the stem 3a of the hook-and-loop fastener 3 in the present invention, the length of the stem 3a (FIG. 10, dimension L) is 0.5 to 5 mm, preferably about 1 to 2 mm.
In addition, the diameter of the stem 3a (FIG. 10, dimension D portion) is 0.1 to
It is good to be 2 mm, preferably about 0.5 to 1 mm.

As described above, it is preferable that the surface fastener 3 is manufactured mainly by injection molding a resin such as plastic, but other materials and manufacturing methods may be used. In addition, since the surface fastener 3 needs appropriate elasticity at the time of engagement and separation of the fasteners, it is more preferable to use a polyolefin resin, a linear polyamide resin (for example, nylon (trade name)), polypropylene, polyethylene, Is good.

(First Projection) Next, the first projection 2e provided on the sealing member 2, which best represents the features of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIGS.

The construction and function of the sealing member 2 and the surface fasteners 3 and 30 in this embodiment are as described above. However, when the toner supply container 1 described later is replaced, the surface fasteners 3 and 30 are replaced. Must be released, and a large load is applied to the hook-and-loop fasteners 3 and 30 at that time. Further, when the drive is transmitted by using the engaging force of the hook-and-loop fastener as in the present embodiment, a great stress is applied to the hook-and-loop fastener also at the time of drive transmission. In such a case, a part of the fine projections 3a constituting the surface fasteners 3 and 30 may fall off, be damaged, or be scraped, resulting in dust or fluff (hereinafter, referred to as “fibers”).
If these are scattered in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body, there is a possibility of causing defects such as defective images. As a countermeasure, the strength of the fine projections 3a constituting the surface fasteners 3 and 30 and the fixing strength to the base material are increased to prevent falling off and shavings. Since the projections 3a are very fine, it was difficult to completely prevent the projections 3a and 30a from falling off and generating scum.

Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 8,
First protrusion 2e continuously surrounding the periphery of the hook-and-loop fastener 3
Is provided on the sealing member 2 so as to collect the fallout from the hook-and-loop fasteners 3 and 30 as described above and to prevent them from scattering into the image forming apparatus. As shown in FIG. 8, the first projection 2e is provided from the end face 2i of the sealing member 2 to which the surface fastener 3 is attached, in a direction crossing the end face 2i. In this example, the first protrusion 2 e is cylindrical and surrounds the hook-and-loop fastener 3. Therefore, the first protrusion 2e is orthogonal to the end face 2i.

Incidentally, the gist of the present invention is that the hook-and-loop fasteners 3, 3 are provided.
The purpose of the present invention is to prevent foreign matter generated or dropped from zero by the first protrusion 2e and prevent the foreign matter from scattering in the image forming apparatus main body. Therefore, in the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the first protrusion 2e is provided so as to surround the surface fastener 3 on the toner supply container side. However, for example, as shown in FIG. The configuration in which the portion 2e is arranged around the hook-and-loop fastener 30 on the image forming apparatus main body side does not depart from the gist of the present invention.

However, when the first protrusion 2e is provided on the surface fastener 30 of the image forming apparatus main body 100, the image forming apparatus main body 100 normally performs several tens of toner supply operations during the life of the product. Each time, hook-and-loop fastener 3,
Drops from the main body 30 accumulate in the first projecting portion 2e of the image forming apparatus main body 100, and eventually foreign matter overflows from the first projecting portion 2e, and eventually enters the image forming apparatus main body. The foreign matter may be scattered, causing a problem such as an image defect.

As described above, since it is not reliable in terms of reliability, it is necessary to periodically remove foreign matter accumulated in the first protrusion 2e of the image forming apparatus main body 100. Therefore, preferably, as shown in the present embodiment, the first projecting portion 2e is provided on the toner supply container side, and the toner supply container 1
It is preferable that the foreign matter trapped in the first protrusion 2e is also removed from the image forming apparatus main body together with the replacement of the image forming apparatus.

Next, the shape of the first protruding portion 2e is a substantially cylindrical shape corresponding to the outer periphery of the surface fastener 3 because the surface fastener 3 shown in the present embodiment has a substantially circular shape. However, as long as it completely surrounds the periphery of the hook-and-loop fastener 3, for example, a triangular prism, a quadrangular prism, or another shape may be used.

However, the drive transmission unit 2 on the image forming apparatus main body side
If the shape and size of the toner supply container side are substantially the same as the shape and size of the toner supply container, and if the shape and size of the toner supply container side are polygons such as triangles or irregular shapes, the phase when the user attaches the toner supply container is Since it is necessary to perform matching, it is preferable that the shape be substantially cylindrical from the viewpoint of operability.

The amount of protrusion of the first protrusion 2e (the axial dimension H between the engagement surface 3g in contact with each protrusion 3a of the hook-and-loop fastener in FIG. 8 and the tip 2e2 of the protrusion 2e) is as follows.
If the amount of protrusion is too small, the effect of collecting fallen objects from the hook-and-loop fastener 30 will not be sufficiently exhibited, and there is a possibility that the fallen objects may be scattered in the image forming apparatus main body. Extra space is required in the device body 100,
In order to hinder the compactness of the device, it is preferable that the protrusion protrudes from the engaging surface 3g of the hook-and-loop fastener 3 by about 1 to 30 mm. More preferably, if the projection is 3 to 25 mm, it is possible to further enhance the effect of collecting dropped objects without hindering the compactness of the image forming apparatus main body 100. However, it is sufficient that the protrusion amount is such that it can effectively collect the falling objects from the hook-and-loop fasteners 3, 30 and protrude as much as possible to prevent scattering in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body. Since the gist of the present invention does not change depending on the amount of protrusion, an optimal one may be appropriately selected so that the function of the first protrusion 2e can be sufficiently performed. Further, by setting the amount of protrusion large enough not to hinder the compactness of the image forming apparatus main body 100, it is easy to center the engaging portion when the toner supply container 1 is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 100. Become. At this time, by providing an invitation shape (C surface) 2e1 as shown in FIG. 10 around the entire inner surface of the end surface of the first protrusion 2e, interference with the image forming apparatus main body 100 when the toner supply container 1 is mounted. Can be prevented, and the operability is further improved.

Further, in addition to the above-described configuration, the falling-off from the hook-and-loop fasteners 3 and 30 can be performed by providing an adhesive means on the inner wall (the side including the hook-and-loop fastener) of the first protrusion 2e. It is possible to more effectively collect and prevent scattering into the image forming apparatus main body.

The adhesive means may be any one having an adhesive force satisfying the above function, for example, the first protrusion 2e coated with an adhesive, a commercially available double-sided tape, a single-sided adhesive tape, or the like. May be provided.

Further, as shown in FIG. 37, the projecting portion 2e may be configured so that the sectional shape of the hook-and-loop fastener in the attaching / detaching direction is a bag shape. In this case, the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener 3 can be confined in the bag-like portion 2g. Even when the toner supply container is attached or detached, a structure such as an adhesive means is used on the inner wall of the above-described protrusion. In addition, it is possible to effectively prevent the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener from scattering into the image forming apparatus main body with an inexpensive and simple configuration.

Further, the protruding portion 2e may be formed integrally with the sealing member 2, or may be formed by dividing it into two or more members and bonding them.

(Method of Replacing Toner Supply Container) Next, a method of replacing the toner supply container will be described.

When substantially all of the toner in the toner supply container 1 is consumed in the image forming process, the apparatus main assembly 100
The user is informed that the toner in the toner supply container 1 has run out by the display means 100b (see FIG. 2) such as a liquid crystal by the detection by the toner supply container empty detection means (not shown) provided in the printer.

In the present embodiment, the user replaces the toner supply container 1 by himself, and the procedure is as follows.

First, as shown in FIGS. 2, 19 and 20, the closed replacement cover 15 is rotated about the hinge 18 as shown in FIG. 21 to open to the position shown by the broken line. . In conjunction with the opening operation of the replacement cover 15, the container main body 1A is moved by the toner supply unit opening / closing means described later, and has been separated from the container main body 1A to open the toner discharge opening 1a. Sealing member 2 (FIG. 24)
Is press-fitted into the toner discharge opening 1a, and the toner discharge opening 1a is closed (see FIG. 23).

Next, the user places the toner replenishing container 1 attached to the apparatus main body 100 which has run out of toner in FIG.
1 and pulled out in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow shown in FIG.
Remove more. Thereafter, the user inserts the new toner supply container 1 into the apparatus main body 100 in the direction of the arrow, and then closes the replacement cover 15. And this replacement cover 1
The sealing member 2 is separated from the container body 1A by the slide member 300, which is the output unit of the toner replenishing unit opening means, in conjunction with the operation of closing the toner replenishing unit 5, and the toner replenishment opening 1a is opened. The above is the procedure for replacing the toner supply container (FIG. 22).
24, the first protrusion 2e is omitted in FIG. 24). When the replacement cover 15 is closed, the image forming apparatus main body 100 is closed.
The slide member 300 is driven by a driving force transmitted from the drive transmission member (not shown). When the replacement cover 15 is opened, a driving force is applied to a member (not shown) of the apparatus main body 100 from the apparatus main body, and the member (not shown) feeds the container main body 1A in the arrow direction of FIG. It is inserted into the sealing member 2.

(Explanation of Replenishing Operation) Next, the replenishing operation of the toner replenishing container according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 22 (in FIGS. 22 to 24, the first projecting portion 2e is omitted for convenience of explanation). did).

FIGS. 22 to 24 show the state of the process of inserting the toner bottle 1 according to the present invention into the main body of the image forming apparatus to supply toner. In the figure, reference numeral m denotes a drive motor provided in the copying machine main body, which is configured to rotationally drive a main body driving unit 20 connected to the toner supply container via an intermediate gear pair 21. A body side fastener 30 for rotating and driving the toner bottle body 1 is provided on the surface of the drive unit 20.

FIG. 22 shows that the toner supply container 1 is
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state of being inserted into 0. At this time, an opening 1a is provided in one end surface 1A1 of the tip of the toner bottle 1, and the opening 1a is in a state of being sealed by the sealing member 2.

FIG. 23 shows a state in which the toner bottle 1 is further inserted, and the toner supply container side fastener 3 provided at the tip of the sealing member 2 is engaged with the main body side fastener 30 of the drive unit 20 on the apparatus main body side. is there. The engagement between the main body side fastener 30 and the toner supply container side fastener 3 is performed by an insertion force when the user inserts the toner bottle 1. At this time, the holding member 22 for fixing and holding the position of the sealing member 2 in the thrust direction (axial direction) interlocks with the insertion operation of the toner bottle 1 and the positioning groove 2 of the sealing member 2.
d, and the position of the sealing member 2 in the thrust direction (axial direction) is fixed. FIG. 24 shows that after the sealing member 2 and the drive section 20 are engaged by the toner supply container side fastener 3 and the main body side fastener 30, the slide member 300 is retracted in the direction of arrow b in conjunction with the closing operation of the main body front cover 100c. As a result, the toner bottle 1 also recedes, and the sealing member 2 relatively moves.
Is separated from the toner bottle 1 and the opening 1a is opened, and the toner can be supplied. At this time, the drive shaft 1b of the toner bottle 1 does not completely come off the sealing member 2, and a part of the drive shaft 1b remains in the sealing member 2. Further, the cross-sectional shape of the drive shaft 1b is a non-circular cross-section, such as a quadrangle or a triangle, which can transmit rotational drive.

When the motor m is driven in this state, the rotational driving force is transmitted from the main body driving section 20 to the sealing member 2, and further transmitted from the sealing member 2 to the bottle driving shaft 1b, whereby the toner bottle main body 1A is moved. They are configured to rotate together.
That is, the sealing member 2 has two functions of sealing the toner and transmitting the rotational driving force to the toner bottle main body 1A at the same time. Further, since the toner bottle main body 1A is rotatably supported by the bottle receiving roller 23, the toner bottle main body 1A can rotate smoothly even with a small driving torque.

As the toner bottle 1 rotates in this manner, the toner contained in the container main body is sequentially discharged from the opening 1a, and the toner is supplied to the toner hopper 201a of the image forming apparatus main body.

(Separation Method) Next, a method for separating the surface fastener 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. When the toner supply is completed and the toner bottle 1 is empty, the old toner bottle must be removed and replaced with a new toner bottle. At that time, it is necessary to separate the sealing member 2 and the surface fasteners 3 and 30 provided on the drive unit 20 which have been engaged up to that time.

In FIG. 25, reference numeral 24 denotes a wedge 24a
It is a separation member of a shape. The separation member 24 is provided in the image forming apparatus main body, and is configured to be movable in the direction of arrow CD shown in FIG. At the time of separation, the separation member 24 in the form of a wedge 24a is inserted into the engagement portion of the hook-and-loop fasteners 3 and 30 from FIG. , FIG. 2
As shown in FIG. 6B, the hook-and-loop fasteners 3 and 30 are separated from each other. In this case, the distal end portion 20b of the main body driving portion 20 is a disk, and has at least the same diameter as the diameter of the protruding portion 2e.
Thereby, the toner bottle 1 is moved backward by the separating member 24. The wedge-shaped separation member 24 is linked to the opening and closing operation of the front cover 100c of the image forming apparatus main body 100, and the wedge-shaped separation member 2 is opened when the front cover 100c is opened.
4 moves in the direction of arrow C to separate the front cover 1.
00c may be moved in the direction of arrow D when closed, or a separate drive motor or the like may be used.
A configuration in which an independent separating operation may be performed, or a separate manual lever (not shown) is provided instead of the interlocking operation with the front cover 100c of the apparatus main body 100, and the separating operation is performed in conjunction therewith. Or any other method.

FIGS. 27 and 28 show examples of other separation methods.

An extruding rod 25 is provided on the back side of the main body driving section 20, and the extruding rod 25 is configured to be movable in the direction of arrow EF. A through hole 26 is provided substantially at the center of the back side surface of the hook-and-loop fastener 30. When separating the hook-and-loop fasteners 3 and 30, the push rod 25 moves in the direction of arrow F from the back of the hook-and-loop fastener as shown in FIG. 28, and pushes the hook-and-loop fastener 30 to inflate the center of the hook-and-loop fastener 30 as shown in FIG. To warp. Since the surface fastener 30 is made of resin, it is curved by elastic deformation, and the engagement of the stem 3a is sequentially released from the outer peripheral portion of the surface fastener 30 to perform separation.

Further, as another separation method, the above two methods may be combined. First, the hook-and-loop fastener 30 is extruded with the pushing rod 25 to make the hook-and-loop fastener 30 warped, and then separated by the wedge-shaped separating member 24 described above, whereby smoother and more natural separation can be achieved.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned separation method, and it goes without saying that there is no problem even if other separation methods are used.

[Second Embodiment] FIGS. 29 to 33 show a second embodiment of the present invention. Here, a second protrusion 2f is provided on the sealing member 2 in addition to the first protrusion 2e, but other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

The second projecting portion 2f is provided with the first projecting portion 2f.
This has the effect of blocking the fallout from the hook-and-loop fasteners 3, 30 received by e in order to prevent it from scattering into the image forming apparatus main body.

Here, the second protrusion 2f is configured to protrude inward over the entire periphery of the end surface or the inner wall of the first protrusion 2e. Here, the inside is a direction toward the rotation center of the sealing member 2.

Regarding the shape of the second projection 2f, the hook-and-loop fastener 3 and the first projection 2 shown in the present embodiment can be used.
e has a substantially circular shape in conformity with the end surface of the first projecting portion 2e as long as it protrudes inward from the first projecting portion 2e over the entire circumference.
And the shape according to the shape of the hook-and-loop fastener 3 and other shapes may be appropriately selected depending on other design and manufacturing restrictions.

The toner supply container 1 is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 100 by forming the drive transmitting portion insertion portion of the second projecting portion 2f so as to be substantially the same size as the drive transmitting portion 20. In this case, centering of the engaging portion is facilitated. In this case, by providing an invitation shape (C surface) 2f1 as shown in FIG. 32 over the entire inner periphery of the end face of the second protrusion 2f,
Interference with the image forming apparatus main body 100 when the toner supply container 1 is mounted can be prevented, and operability is further improved.

Further, the main body driving section 2 of the main body of the image forming apparatus
In the case where the shape and size of the drive transmitting portion 20a of the “0” and the shape and size of the driving force receiving portion on the toner replenishing container side are substantially the same, if the shape is a polygon such as a triangle or an irregular shape, the user can remove the toner replenishing container. Since it is necessary to perform phase matching at the time of mounting, a substantially cylindrical shape is desirable from the viewpoint of operability.

The installation distance (dimension H 'in FIG. 32) of the inner surface 2f2 of the second protrusion 2f from the engaging surface 3g of the surface fastener 3 is too short. , 30 does not sufficiently exhibit the effect of collecting the dropped objects, and the dropped objects may be scattered in the image forming apparatus main body. On the contrary, if the separated objects are too far away, extra space is required in the image forming apparatus main body 100, Hinders downsizing of the device.
Therefore, it is preferable that the distance H 'between the engagement surface 3g of the hook-and-loop fastener 3 and the inner side surface 2f2 of the second protrusion 2f is provided at a position of about 30 mm. More preferably, 3 to 2
When provided at a position of 5 mm, the image forming apparatus main body 100
It is possible to further enhance the effect of collecting lost objects without hindering the compactness of the device. However, the installation distance H 'of the second protrusion 2f from the hook-and-loop fastener 3 is different from that of the hook-and-loop fastener 3,
What is necessary is to set it at a position where it is possible to effectively collect the fallout from the 30 and prevent it from scattering into the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Since the gist is not changed, the functions of the first and second protrusions 2e and 2f can be sufficiently performed.
An optimal one may be selected as appropriate.

Further, in addition to the above-described configuration, a surface fastener may be provided by providing an adhesive means on at least one of the inner walls (the side including the surface fastener) of the first and second protrusions 2e and 2f. It is possible to more effectively collect the fallout from the third and the third and the thirty, and to surely prevent the falling off into the image forming apparatus main body.

By providing a third projection 2h projecting further in the outer diameter direction from the second projection 2f, as shown in FIG. 37, the sectional shape of the front surface fastener 3 in the attaching / detaching direction is changed to a bag shape. When the bag-shaped portion 2g is formed as described above, it is possible to enhance the effect of collecting the fallout from the hook-and-loop fastener 3. The third projecting portion 2h has a key-shaped cross section as shown in FIG. 37, but may have a single cross-sectional shape simply protruding toward an end surface 2i to which the hook-and-loop fastener 3 is attached.

In FIG. 37, the configuration is such that a straight wall is provided. However, as shown in FIG. 38, even when the bag-shaped portion 2g is formed by a continuous curve, the shape is formed by combining the straight line and the curve. There is no problem.

Further, the protruding portion may be formed integrally with the sealing member 2 or may be formed by dividing it into two or more members and bonding them.

[Embodiment 3] FIGS. 34 and 35 show Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Here, an example is shown in which the arrangement of the surface fastener 3 is installed in a place other than the sealing member 2, and the first and second protrusions 2 e and 2 f are also installed in accordance with the arrangement of the surface fastener 3. . Other configurations are the same as those of the first and second embodiments.

The arrangement of the surface fastener 3 and the first protrusion 2e will be described with reference to FIGS.

The arrangement of the hook-and-loop fastener 3 and the first protrusion 2e in the present invention is not limited to being provided at the tip of the sealing member 2 as described in the first and second embodiments. Any place where the drive of the toner bottle 1 can be transmitted may be selected.

For example, FIG. 34 shows the toner bottle 1 main body 1A.
The case where the hook-and-loop fastener 3 is provided on the entire circumference of the end face 1A1 and the first protrusion 2e is also provided on the entire circumference of the end face 1A1 of the bottle main body 1A is shown.

FIG. 35 shows a case in which the hook-and-loop fastener 3 is provided at a plurality of locations divided into the bottle end face 1A1 and the first protrusion 2e is provided on the entire circumference of the bottle end face 1A1.

As described above, the position at which the hook-and-loop fastener 3 can be freely arranged may be constituted by various shapes of the toner supply container. However, when divided and arranged as shown in FIG. 35, the surface fastener 30 of the main body drive unit 20 on the other side needs to have a configuration in which the surface fastener 30 is arranged on the entire circumference as shown in FIG.

[0196] Needless to say, it is preferable that the first protrusion 2e is disposed so as to completely surround the periphery of the hook-and-loop fastener 3.

The other configuration related to the first protrusion 2e is the same as in the first and second embodiments. Also,
In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which only the first protrusion 2e is provided. However, more preferably, the second protrusion 2f is provided in the same manner as in the second embodiment, and the surface fasteners 3 and 30 are more reliably provided. It is preferable to configure so as to prevent the fallout from being scattered. Further, the drive transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force by engaging the surface fasteners described above does not need to be limited to the drive transmission between the image forming apparatus main body and the toner supply container. It is also possible to use it.

[0198]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects are exhibited. Even in the event that a falling object is generated from the hook-and-loop fastener, the falling object can be effectively collected, and a defect such as an image defect can be prevented with an inexpensive configuration. When the toner supply container is mounted, the shaft (surface) of the hook-and-loop fastener engaging portion can be easily adjusted with a low-cost configuration. When replacing the toner supply container as in the related art, there is no need to adjust the rotational position of the toner supply container, and the user simply inserts the toner supply container into the image forming apparatus main body,
By simply closing the front cover of the apparatus main body, the toner supply container is engaged with the driving section of the image forming apparatus main body and is set in a toner replenishable state, so that a toner supply operation with excellent operability can be realized. . By using the hook-and-loop fastener for the driving force receiving portion of the toner replenishing container, a strong engaging force with the driving portion can be easily and reliably maintained only by inserting the toner replenishing container. It is possible to realize a highly reliable toner supply container that does not occur and can reliably supply toner. By using the hook-and-loop fastener for the driving force receiving portion of the toner supply container, the configuration around the driving force transmitting portion and the driving force receiving portion becomes extremely thin, and the image forming apparatus main body can be saved in space.
It can greatly contribute to downsizing. By using the hook-and-loop fastener for the driving force receiving portion of the toner replenishing container, a complicated structure such as a conventional coupling portion formed by engagement of unevenness is not required, so that the cost of the driving force receiving portion can be greatly reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional view of an image forming apparatus main body (copier) according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electrophotographic copying machine.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a toner supply container replacement cover of the electrophotographic copying machine is opened and a toner supply container is mounted on the electrophotographic copying machine.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the toner supply container according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a drive transmission unit of the toner supply container.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a sealing member of the toner supply container.

7A is a view of the sealing member of FIG. 6 as viewed in the direction of the arrow A, and FIG.

FIG. 8 is a front sectional view of the sealing member.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a hook-and-loop fastener of a drive transmission unit and a drive force receiving unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged front view of the hook-and-loop fastener.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an example of coupling between a hook-and-loop fastener and a sealing member.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an example of connection between the hook-and-loop fastener and the sealing member.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an example of connection between the hook-and-loop fastener and the sealing member.

FIG. 14 is a schematic front view showing another example of the hook-and-loop fastener.

FIG. 15 is a schematic configuration front view showing another example of the hook-and-loop fastener.

FIG. 16 is a front view showing an arrangement pattern of the hook-and-loop fastener.

FIG. 17 is a front view showing an arrangement pattern of the hook-and-loop fastener.

FIG. 18 is a front view showing an arrangement pattern of the hook-and-loop fastener.

FIG. 19 is a front view of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

FIG. 20 is a side view of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

FIG. 21 is a plan view showing a state in which a cover for replacing a toner supply container of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus is opened.

FIG. 22 is a side view showing a state where the toner supply container according to the present invention is being replenished, and showing an initial state of insertion of the toner supply container.

FIG. 23 is a side view showing a state in which drive is transmitted between the toner supply container and the main body drive unit.

FIG. 24 is a side view illustrating a state where toner is being discharged.

FIG. 25 is a side view showing the separation means of the hook-and-loop fastener in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 26 (a) and 26 (b) are side views showing a separation means for a hook-and-loop fastener according to the present invention.

FIG. 27 is a side view showing another separation means of the hook-and-loop fastener according to the present invention.

FIG. 28 is a side view showing another separation means of the hook-and-loop fastener according to the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a drive transmission unit and a hook-and-loop fastener according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 30 is a front view of a sealing member of the toner supply container.

FIG. 31A is a view of the sealing member in FIG.
(B) is a view on arrow B.

FIG. 32 is a front sectional view of a sealing member.

FIG. 33 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a drive transmission unit of the toner supply container.

FIG. 34 is a perspective view of a toner supply container according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 35 is a perspective view of a toner supply container according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 36 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating another example of an engaged state between the image forming apparatus main body and the toner supply container.

FIG. 37 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the shape of the protrusion provided on the sealing member.

FIG. 38 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the shape of the protrusion provided on the sealing member.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Toner supply container (toner bottle) 1A: Toner bottle main body (container main body) 1A1... End face 1a: Opening 1b: Drive shaft 1c: Partition wall 1e: Protrusion 2: Sealing member 2a: Engagement hole 2b: Seal Stop part 2c: Coupling engaging part 2d: Positioning groove 2e: First protruding part 2e1: Inviting shape 2e2 ... Tip 2f: Second protruding part 2f1: Inviting shape 2g: Bag-shaped part 2h: Third protruding part 2i: End face 3: Surface fastener 3a: Projection (stem) 3a1: Root 3a2 ... Tip 3b: Adhesive member 3c: Small screw 3d: Hook 3e:
Loop 3f: Truncated pyramid-shaped stem 3g ... engaging surface 3
z: Base 4: Transfer roller 15: Toner container replacement cover 18: Drive shaft hinge 20: Main body drive unit 20a: Drive transmission unit 20b: Tip unit 21: Intermediate gear pair 22: Holding member 23: Bottle receiving roller 24: Wedge Shape separating member 24a: wedge 25: push rod 30: body side fastener (drive side fastener) 3
0a: protrusion 30a1: root 30a2: tip 30
d: hook 50: container holder 100: image forming apparatus main body 100a: operation unit 100
b: liquid crystal display unit 100c: front cover 101: original document 102: original platen glass 103: optical unit 104: photosensitive drum 105 to 108: cassette 105A to 108A: sheet feeding / separating device 109: transport unit 110: registration roller 111: Transfer Discharger 112: Separation Discharger 113: Conveying Unit 114: Fixing Unit 115: Discharge Reversing Unit 116: Discharge Roller 117: Discharge Tray 118: Flapper 119-120: Refeeding Conveyance Path 201: Developing Unit 201a: Toner hopper 201
b: developing unit 201c: stirring member 201d: magnet roller 201e: feeding unit 201f: developing roller 202: cleaner unit 203: primary charger 300: sliding member M: mirror Ln: lens P: paper m: motor

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yusuke Yamada 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo F-term in Canon Inc. (reference) 2H071 BA03 BA13 BA20 BA23 BA35 CA01 CA05 DA08 DA26 EA10 2H077 AA03 AA05 AA34 AB01 AB12 AD06 BA02 CA11

Claims (43)

[Claims] 1. A toner supply container detachable from an image forming apparatus main body, comprising: a toner supply container main body for storing toner; and a surface fastener detachable from the image forming apparatus main body.
A toner supply container, comprising: a surface fastener receiving driving force from an image forming apparatus main body; and a protrusion provided to surround the surface fastener. 2. The projection according to claim 1, wherein the projection is a first projection protruding from a surface provided with the hook-and-loop fastener in a direction crossing the surface, and a second projection protruding inward over the entire circumference of the first projection. The toner supply container according to claim 1, further comprising a unit. 3. The toner supply container according to claim 1, wherein an adhesive unit is provided on an inner wall of the protrusion. 4. An end face of the projecting portion, or a second projecting portion in a case where the projecting portion has first and second projecting portions, in a direction in which the surface fastener is separated from an engaging surface of the surface fastener. The toner supply container according to claim 2, wherein the toner supply container is provided at a position protruding from 1 to 30 mm. 5. The toner supply container according to claim 1, wherein the surface fastener receiving the driving force has a structure in which a number of fine projections are arranged on a surface. 6. The toner supply container according to claim 5, wherein the fine projections of the hook-and-loop fastener receiving the driving force have a larger outer diameter at a tip than at a root. 7. The surface fastener receiving the driving force is provided with a large number of loop-shaped fine engagement projections, and is related to a surface fastener provided with a large number of hook-shaped fine engagement projections of the image forming apparatus main body. The toner supply container according to claim 1, wherein the toner supply container is detached. 8. The surface fastener receiving the driving force is provided with a large number of hook-shaped fine engagement protrusions, and is related to a surface fastener provided with a large number of loop-shaped fine engagement protrusions of the image forming apparatus main body. The toner supply container according to claim 1, wherein the toner supply container is detached. 9. A stirring / conveying / discharging means for stirring / conveying / discharging toner driven by transmitting a driving force, wherein the stirring / conveying / discharging means is driven by the driving force from the image forming apparatus main body. 4. The toner supply container according to claim 1, wherein the means is driven. 10. A toner discharge port, and a sealing member for sealing the toner discharge port so as to be openable and closable, wherein the toner discharge port of the toner supply container is driven by a driving force from the image forming apparatus main body. The toner supply container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a sealing means for opening and closing is opened and closed. 11. The toner supply container according to claim 9, wherein the toner supply container has a substantially cylindrical shape, and stirring, conveyance, and discharge of the toner are performed by rotating the toner supply container. . 12. A toner supply container that is detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus main body, wherein one end of the cylinder is provided with a toner discharge port for discharging toner stored therein, and is rotatably supported on the outer periphery of the cylinder to move in the axial direction. A possible toner supply container main body, and a sealing member for opening and closing the toner discharge port, wherein a hook-and-loop fastener is provided at a tip end thereof, and the toner supply container main body and the toner supply container main body are mutually locked in the rotation direction. A sealing member that is movable in the axial direction with respect to each other and maintains a state of being engaged with the toner supply container main body in a rotational direction even when the toner discharge port is opened. The toner supply container main body is driven by the image forming apparatus main body via the sealing member by the engagement force of the hook-and-loop fastener provided on the stop member, and the toner supply container main body is rotated. A toner supply container according to claim 11. 13. A toner replenishing device in which a toner replenishing container is detachable, comprising: a toner replenishing container main body for accommodating toner; and a hook-and-loop fastener detachable from the image forming device main body.
A surface fastener that receives a driving force from the image forming apparatus main body;
A mounting portion for detachably mounting a toner supply container having: a surface fastener for transmitting a driving force from the image forming apparatus main body, wherein the surface fastener receiving the driving force is detachable from a driving-side surface fastener. And a projection provided to surround the driving-side surface fastener. 14. A first projection projecting from a surface provided with a hook-and-loop fastener in a direction crossing the surface, and a second projection projecting inward over the entire circumference of the first projection. 14. A unit is provided.
3. The toner supply device according to 1. 15. The toner replenishing device according to claim 13, wherein an adhesive unit is provided on an inner wall of the protrusion. 16. An end face of the first protrusion or a second protrusion when the protrusion has the first and second protrusions, wherein the second protrusion is larger than the engaging surface of the surface fastener. The toner supply device according to claim 14, wherein the toner supply device is provided at a position protruding from 1 to 30 mm in a separation direction. 17. The toner supply device according to claim 13, wherein the surface fastener of the image forming apparatus main body has a configuration in which a number of fine protrusions are arranged on a surface. . 18. The toner supply device according to claim 17, wherein the fine projections of the surface fastener of the image forming apparatus main body are configured so that the outer diameter at the tip is larger than the root. 19. A surface fastener for receiving a driving force is detachable from a toner supply container provided with a large number of loop-shaped fine projections, and the surface fastener of the image forming apparatus main body is a hook-shaped fine projection. 16. The toner supply device according to claim 13, wherein a plurality of toner supply devices are provided. 20. A surface fastener receiving a driving force is detachable with a toner supply container provided with a large number of hook-shaped fine engaging projections, and the surface fastener of the image forming apparatus main body has a loop-shaped fine engaging projection. 16. The toner supply device according to claim 13, wherein a plurality of toner supply devices are provided. 21. A toner replenishing container having a stirring / transporting / discharging means for stirring / transporting / discharging toner is driven by a driving force from the image forming apparatus main body. The toner supply device according to any one of the above. 22. The toner supply container has a toner discharge port and a sealing member for sealing the toner discharge port so that the toner discharge port can be opened and closed, and the toner supply container is driven by a driving force from the image forming apparatus main body. 2. The opening / closing of a sealing means for opening / closing the toner discharge port.
16. The toner replenishing device according to any one of items 3 to 15. 23. A toner storage unit for storing a toner, wherein the toner storage unit has a substantially cylindrical shape, and further includes a rotation driving unit for a toner replenishing container which is performed by rotating agitation, conveyance, and discharge of the toner. 22. The toner supply device according to 21. 24. A toner supply device in which a toner supply container is detachable, comprising: a. At one end of the cylinder, there is provided a toner discharge port for discharging toner contained therein, a container body rotatably supported on the outer periphery of the cylinder and movable in the axial direction, and a sealing member for opening and closing the toner discharge port. A hook-and-loop fastener is provided at a tip end of the toner supply container main body. The hook-and-loop fastener is engaged with the toner supply container body in the rotation direction, is movable in the axial direction, and has the toner discharge port opened. A sealing member that keeps the toner replenishing container main body engaged with the toner replenishing container in a rotational direction, and the toner replenishing container main body is formed by the engaging force of a surface fastener provided on the sealing member. Mounting means for receiving a drive from the image forming apparatus main body via the sealing member and detachably mounting the toner supply container on which the toner supply container main body rotates; b. A surface fastener receiving drive from the image forming apparatus main body and transmitting the drive to the sealing member; c. 24. The toner replenishing device according to claim 23, further comprising: a delivery passage for delivering toner from an opening of the toner replenishing container to a developing unit of the image forming apparatus main body. 25. The toner supply container according to claim 1, wherein the attachment / detachment direction of the hook-and-loop fastener engaging portion is substantially the axial direction of the rotation axis. 26. The toner replenishing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the direction of attachment and detachment of the engaging portion between the surface fastener receiving the driving force and the surface fastener of the image forming apparatus main body is substantially the axial direction of the rotation axis. 27. A projection provided so as to surround the hook-and-loop fastener, wherein the cross-sectional shape in the hook-and-loop fastener attaching / detaching direction is configured to form a bag-like portion on the side where the hook-and-loop fastener is provided. Claims 1 to 3 characterized by the above-mentioned.
The toner supply container according to any one of the above. 28. A projection provided so as to surround the hook-and-loop fastener, wherein the cross-sectional shape in the hook-and-loop fastener attaching / detaching direction is configured to form a bag-like portion on the side where the hook-and-loop fastener is provided. The toner supply device according to claim 13, wherein the toner supply device includes: 29. A toner sealing member used for a toner replenishing container which is detachably attached to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus and which can be driven by receiving a driving force from the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. A sealing portion for sealing the toner charged in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus; a surface fastener receiving driving from the electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body; and a protrusion provided to surround the surface fastener. A toner sealing member. 30. A first protrusion protruding from a surface provided with a surface fastener in a direction crossing the surface, and a second protrusion protruding inward over the entire circumference of the first protrusion. 30. A part is provided.
3. The toner sealing member according to 1. 31. The toner sealing member according to claim 29, wherein an adhesive means is provided on an inner wall of the projecting portion. 32. An end face of the projecting portion, or a second projecting portion in a case where the projecting portion has first and second projecting portions, in a direction in which the surface fastener is separated from an engaging surface of the surface fastener. The toner sealing member according to claim 30, wherein the toner sealing member is provided at a position protruding from 1 to 30 mm. 33. The surface fastener receiving the driving force,
32. A structure according to claim 29, wherein a large number of fine projections are arranged on the surface receiving the driving force.
6. The toner sealing member according to any one of the above. 34. The toner sealing member according to claim 33, wherein the fine projection of the surface fastener receiving the driving force has a larger outer diameter at a tip than at a root. 35. A hook-and-loop fastener according to claim 35, wherein said hook-and-loop fastener receiving said driving force is provided with a large number of loop-shaped fine engagement projections, and is provided with a large number of hook-shaped fine engagement projections of said image forming apparatus main body. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein
32. The toner sealing member according to any one of items 30 to 31. 36. A hook-and-loop fastener provided with a plurality of hook-shaped fine engagement projections, and provided with a large number of loop-shaped fine engagement projections of the image forming apparatus main body. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein
32. The toner sealing member according to any one of items 30 to 31. 37. A toner replenishing container main body having a stirring / transporting / discharging means for stirring / transporting / discharging toner driven by driving force, wherein the toner replenishing container is driven by a driving force from the image forming apparatus main body. 32. The toner sealing member according to claim 29, wherein the stirring / transporting / discharging means is driven. 38. The image forming apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the sealing member for sealing the opening of the toner supply container so as to be openable and closable is opened and closed by a driving force from the image forming apparatus main body. The toner sealing member according to any one of the above. 39. The toner sealing device according to claim 37, wherein the toner supply container has a substantially cylindrical shape, and the toner is stirred, transported, and discharged by rotating the toner supply container. Element. 40. A toner discharge port for discharging the toner contained therein is provided at one end of the cylinder, and the toner discharge port of the toner supply container main body which is rotatably supported on the outer periphery of the cylinder and is movable in the axial direction is opened and closed. In the toner sealing member, the sealing member is provided with a hook-and-loop fastener at a tip end thereof, and is mutually locked in the rotation direction with the toner supply container main body, and is freely movable in the axial direction. Even when the toner discharge port is opened, it is configured to keep the toner supply container main body engaged with the toner supply container body in the rotation direction, and by the engagement force of the surface fastener provided on the sealing member, 40. The toner sealing member according to claim 39, wherein the toner supply container main body rotates by receiving a drive from the image forming apparatus main body via the sealing member. 41. The toner sealing member according to claim 29, wherein the attachment / detachment direction of the hook-and-loop fastener engaging portion is substantially the axial direction of the rotation axis. 42. A projection provided to surround the hook-and-loop fastener, wherein a cross-sectional shape in the hook-and-loop fastener attaching / detaching direction is configured to form a bag-like portion on the side where the hook-and-loop fastener is provided. The toner sealing member according to any one of claims 29 to 31, wherein: 43. A toner replenishing device in which a toner replenishing container is detachable, comprising: a toner replenishing container main body that stores toner and has a toner discharge port; a sealing member that seals the toner discharge port; A surface fastener which receives the driving force of (1), wherein the surface fastener is detachable from the surface fastener of the main body of the image forming apparatus, and a protrusion provided to surround the surface fastener. A toner supply device, comprising: a mounting portion; and a surface fastener for transmitting a driving force from the image forming apparatus main body, wherein the surface fastener receives the driving force and a driving-side surface fastener detachable from the surface fastener. .